IPS officer Bushra Bano transferred for using Arabic greeting

An IPS officer in West Bengal was transferred for using Arabic words to greet, raising concerns over religious bias.

An IPS officer in the West Bengal BJP government was transferred solely because she used Arabic words for greeting. Since the BJP came to power in West Bengal, there has been large-scale action against Muslims and Christians. A report on Monday stated that 252 madrasas in the state have been shut down, and notices have been issued to close more than 100 madrasas. Attacks on churches are occurring. People from the Christian community, living in fear and terror, have stopped attending church prayer meetings in several districts. During prayer meetings in churches, activists from Bajrang Dal and Hindu Sena have vandalized.

IPS officer Bushra Bano was transferred on Monday because a complaint was filed against her for using Arabic words for greeting in a video related to her journey in civil services a few days ago.

Bushra Bano, an IPS officer of the 2021 batch, has been removed from her position as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur and appointed as Deputy Commandant in the State Armed Police. This transfer occurred following the release of her video on September 13.

In the video, IPS Bushra Bano shared her experiences related to preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam and encouraged civil service aspirants.

The 'Hindu Legal Fund' raised objections with the West Bengal Home Secretary regarding the use of words like 'Assalamu Alaikum', 'Insha Allah', and 'Jazak Allah' by Bushra Bano in the video.

The organization alleged that a serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality in public discourse and should use national expressions like 'Jai Hind' or 'Vande Mataram'.

The organization wrote on the social media platform X,

She started with Assalamu Alaikum, said Insha Allah in between, and ended with Jazak Allah, but did not use Vande Mataram or Jai Hind. The organization has demanded an investigation into this matter. This complaint has sparked a debate on whether bureaucrats should be expected to use any specific religious or national expressions in private or public discourse.

Bushra Bano spoke about her personal and academic journey in the video. Born in the Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh, Bano completed her PhD in Management Studies from Aligarh Muslim University. She also cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) for Junior Research Fellowship. After that, she worked as an Assistant Professor in Saudi Arabia. Later, she returned to India and began preparing for the UPSC exam.

Bano mentioned the role of the Residential Coaching Academy of Aligarh Muslim University in her success. According to her, the academy provided her with study materials, library access, and test series. In 2018, she secured the 277th rank in the UPSC exam and was allocated to the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS). However, she did not join the service due to the birth of her second child. The following year, she reappeared for the exam and secured the 234th rank, getting selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS).

Bushra Bano, an IPS officer of the 2021 batch, was allocated to the West Bengal cadre. She began her career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Hooghly Rural. In June, she was promoted to Additional Superintendent of Police. The state government has appointed Partha Ghosh as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur and Shubhendu Mandal as Additional Deputy Commissioner in the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate.

The opposition has strongly criticized the West Bengal BJP government regarding the transfer of IPS officer Bushra Bano. TMC MP Mahua Moitra posted on X, saying,

On one hand, the BJP government is showcasing its secular image by creating a 'prayer room' at the BRICS summit, while on the other hand, Muslim woman IPS officer Dr. Bushra Bano is sidelined just for saying 'Assalamu Alaikum' and 'Jazak Allah'—thus promoting the hatred spread by the lapdog media. Bushra, we stand with you.

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi has attacked the BJP government's hateful ideology regarding the transfer of IPS Bushra Bano.

Posting on X, Imran Pratapgarhi said,

The West Bengal state government of Modi ji, who embraces Muslim heads of state from around the world with open arms at the BRICS summit, has sidelined IPS Bushra Bano stationed in Kharagpur merely because she said Insha Allah and Jazak Allah while communicating with youth through a video message, which has a very simple meaning. A hateful TV channel sensationalized that video and orchestrated online trolling against the woman IPS officer, and instead of supporting her, the state government transferred her the next day. What kind of India are you creating, Narendra Modi ji?

Posting on X, Kaveesh Aziz wrote that,

Bushra Bano was transferred for greeting with Salaam, while Anuj Chaudhary was promoted for participating in a religious pilgrimage in uniform.